The District Governor of Lagos and Ogun Rotary International, Mr. Adewale Ogunbadejo has advised unemployed youths to embrace skills acquisition in order to self-reliant.
Ogunbadejo, who spoke at the graduation ceremony where 118 women, widows and internally displaced persons were trained in various vocations organised by the Economic and Community Development Committee of Rotary Club said self-employment was the way forward.
He explained that Rotary was doing everything possible to assist the needy through training, empowerment and environmental development.
He said: “Rotary has six areas of focus; we want to ensure that the needy who can be helped with little skills, little loans are assisted. That can make them independent in pursuit of means of subsistence.
“The committee has worked so hard with focus on the widows, youths and young ladies.
“There is another focus on graduates who have no skills. It equally focussed on internally displaced persons. These are some of the efforts to help people in our communities in order to stand on their own.
“We equally believe that people can be empowered in a little manner, to ensure that children have good education, those with illness are cured. At the end of the day, we will have peace in the world.”
Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Lola Akande commended Rotary International for its laudable programme, noting that it was in accord with government plans.
She said skills acquisition in various divisions in Lagos State was equally adding values to the lives of women and the less-privileged in the society.
“We have 18 skills acquisition centres spread across Lagos. This has to be so in order to mitigate the effects of poverty, frustration and aggression. These are criminal tendencies emanating largely from unemployment and the prevalent poor economic situation in our country.
“So many people have benefitted from this programme put in place by government. We have about 50,000 lives that we have touched through the programme. It does not even stop at training them and that is to say Rotary Club should not stop at training these beneficiaries, it should still go a step further in fixing them up in the areas of their vocations.
“I will also like to say to the beneficiaries that the sky cannot be your limit. With what you have gained from this programme, I believe God has sent a helper to you through the Rotary Club. All you need now is to add diligence and also to be focused. “If you perform very well, it will not be difficult for the Rotary Club to fix you up. It will introduce you to some of the companies around that can offer you employment. You should not just hold on to what you have learnt here alone, you can as well check the internet to further activate your skills.”
Chairman of Economic and Community Development Committee, Mrs. Victoria Kuteyi-Ogundemuren said the yearly event had been impactful on the society, adding that the number kept increasing each year.
She noted that the Rotary was particular about making life easy for people through its services.
According to her, the less-privileged were the main focus because they bear the brunt of economic hardship in the society.
“We started the programme last year because we discovered that there are lots of graduates roaming the streets without jobs. We became more concerned, particularly with women because when you empower a woman, you are building the home and the society.
“Last year we had 76 beneficiaries, this year we have 118. So, those who benefitted were majorly widows, women and those who were displaced. We had a few male folks who also benefited from the skills acquisition programme,” she said.